Archive for Archives
How athletes can stay healthy and injury-free during COVID-19
June is normally a time for student athletes to celebrate a long season of training and competition. But athletes are at loose ends this year with the suspension of sports during COVID-19. “For anyone who identifies as an athlete, it’s almost like they’ve lost a part of themselves,” says Kimberly O’Brien, clinical social worker in ... Read More
COVID-19 and IEPs: Education for children with special needs
When Massachusetts shut down its public schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19, educators faced a huge challenge. With little time to prepare, school districts had to redesign classroom lesson plans for close to a million students. The interrupted school year has been especially hard on kids with individualized education programs (IEPs). An IEP is ... Read More
The polio outbreak of 1955: Lessons from an epidemic
“This is going to be a tough year.” Claire McCarthy was a young physical therapist in early March 1955 when orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Grice, made this observation. At the time, Boston Children’s Hospital was the receiving center for adults and children with polio in New England. The hospital typically saw an upsurge in cases ... Read More
Preparing your child with autism for a hospital visit during COVID-19
Most kids aren’t used to the sights, sounds, and smells of a hospital. And because of COVID-19, medical settings look and sound much different than usual. Busy hallways are nearly empty. People are wearing face masks. Even kids who come to the hospital often may not recognize the place they’ve visited many times. (Image: David ... Read More
If someone in your house has COVID-19
If you or someone in your house has COVID-19, how can you protect other family members from infection when everyone is living in close quarters? Some of the recommendations below may be difficult, especially if you live in a small space with several people. Do your best, and remember the two most important things everyone ... Read More
Otolaryngology care during the COVID-19 pandemic
With the rapid spread of COVID-19, health care institutions around the globe have quickly revised their standard practices and policies to address the crisis. Protecting clinicians from infection is more critical than ever, particularly in high-risk fields such as otolaryngology. Yet the lack of clear guidelines and shortages of testing materials and personal protective equipment ... Read More
Online ventilator training addresses COVID-19 clinician shortage
While hospitals around the nation and the world scramble to locate enough mechanical ventilators to treat an influx of patients with COVID-19, many also fear a clinician shortage that will grow worse as the pandemic continues. “COVID-19 is straining the critical care workforce in ways we have never seen before,” says Traci Wolbrink, MD, associate ... Read More
What running mistakes lead to injury?
Running outside is a great opportunity to get some fresh air and, because it requires so little equipment, may be accessible when other forms of exercise are not. At a lecture in February, specialists from the Division of Sports Medicine and The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention described how running form – the way ... Read More
Avulsion fracture taps the brakes on a runner’s races
By the time Will Benoit and his parents met Dr. Kristin Whitney, they all had a bad feeling about his left hip. “When she told us Will had a pelvic avulsion fracture, we knew his running season was over,” says his father, Russ. The question was, when would Will run again? From third grade on, ... Read More
Relationship talks: Staying together through a child’s illness
Among the many stresses of having an ill or injured child, parents often feel a strain on their marriage. Whenever she can, clinical social worker Katherine Preston, LICSW, reassures families that a child’s illness does not automatically spell the end of the parents’ relationship. Based on studies of families facing childhood cancer and diabetes, Preston ... Read More